A senior Conservative MP will bring forward a bill on Tuesday to end the recognition of polygamous marriages in the welfare system.
The Social Security (Marriage) Bill, which is backed by Kemi Badenoch, would also explicitly exclude overseas marriages between close relatives, including between an uncle and niece or an aunt and nephew, from recognition for welfare purposes.
Shadow transport secretary Richard Holden will introduce the bill, a private members’ bill, through the 10-minute rule procedure. Under procedure, the sponsoring MP is given 10 minutes to make a speech outlining the purpose of their proposed bill. An opposing MP may then use 10 minutes to speak against it, although this is something of a rarity.
If the bill is opposed, MPs will vote on whether Holden be given the right to introduce it.
The House of Commons order paper states that the bill is intended to “prohibit the recognition of polygamous marriages, marriages within prohibited degrees, and certain other marriages between close relatives, in the social security system”.
The Conservatives say the bill would close a “loophole” under which some “polygamous marriages contracted overseas are recognised for benefit purposes, allowing additional payments for extra spouses.”
All of the bill’s eleven co-sponsors – including Badenoch, Helen Whately, Claire Coutinho, Nick Timothy, Laura Trott and Tom Tugendhat – are members of the shadow cabinet.
According to the Conservatives, they removed recognition of polygamous marriages under Universal Credit while in government, but additional-spouse provisions remain in Pension Credit and Housing Benefit. Holden’s bill aims to end recognition across the social security system.
The bill also aims to “put beyond doubt” that overseas marriages between close relatives cannot be recognised for welfare purposes.
Holden, the MP for Basildon and Billericay, said: “Families struggling with the cost of living should not be footing the bill for men with multiple wives. Yet our benefits system still gives special recognition to polygamous marriages contracted overseas. It is outrageous and undermines people’s faith that the laws we pass are abided by.”
He added: “My bill would end those additional-spouse provisions and put beyond doubt that overseas incestuous marriages, including uncle–niece and aunt–nephew marriages, have no place in our welfare system or society. Contracting a marriage abroad should never be a bypass route around the standards we uphold in Britain.”
He added: “Labour has become the welfare party in hoc to special interests. Andy Burnham and his Labour MPs now have a simple choice: back my bill or explain to hardworking taxpayers why they refuse to.”
